Northern Ireland: Peace Process (Hansard, 9 July 1996)

HL Deb 09 July 1996 vol 574 cc167-9 167

§ Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:

§ What is their assessment of the value and effect of the various confidence building measures introduced by the Government in Northern Ireland since the 1994 ceasefires and what further measures they envisage.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office (Baroness Denton of Wakefield)
My Lords, current events in Northern Ireland demonstrate the crucial importance of developing trust between the communities. The Government believe that the talks process provides the best opportunity to achieve political stability through agreement on a widely acceptable political settlement. On the economic side, increasing employment and the EU Peace and Reconciliation Fund have steadily increased confidence. The Government will continue to meet their responsibility to protect their citizens and work to ensure they can continue to go about their business without interference.

§ Lord Hylton
My Lords, I thank the Minister for her reply, coming as it does in the uncertain climate of today's headlines. I am grateful for what she said about employment. Will the Government work even harder on equal opportunities in employment for all? Will they legislate for a Bill of Rights on which almost all the Northern Ireland parties manage to agree? Finally, will they prepare and have ready a fall-back plan for use if the political negotiations fail to reach agreement?

§ Baroness Denton of Wakefield
My Lords, I can say to the noble Lord, Lord Hylton, that the Government had hoped that the talks process would examine the Bill of Rights issue. The Government are not ruling out any resolution. They have a genuinely open-minded approach to the form and scope of whatever new measures can be agreed. As regards a fall-back position, I assure your Lordships that the Government will continue to work to ensure that there is a peaceful future for every single member of the population of Northern Ireland. We must hope that they will work for it too.

168

§ Lord Blease
My Lords, does the Minister agree that, notwithstanding the present sad and grave eruption of riotous disorder, in parts of the Province there has been marked and tangible social, economic and political progress during the past two years? Is the noble Baroness aware of the widespread community appreciation of the bipartisan and concerted support for the building of peaceable measures by this Westminster Parliament and by United Kingdom governments over the past 25 years? Finally, will the Minister seek to ensure that there can be no departure from the principles of parliamentary democracy in matters concerning the future governance of the Province?

§ Baroness Denton of Wakefield
My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Blease, has seen much of the troubles in Northern Ireland but he has seen also in recent years much of the success in building teams, peoples and communities to work together. Much of that achievement has been with the support of both Houses of Parliament and through the great efforts of my right honourable friend the Prime Minister. We shall continue to work along those paths. It is difficult to envisage a democracy that does not always have a peace process.

§ Baroness Park of Monmouth
My Lords, does the Minister agree with me that the end of the ceasefire has fortunately not led to an end of inward investment? Will she tell us more about the effects of her valuable visit to Canada in March?

§ Baroness Denton of Wakefield
My Lords, my noble friend rightly draws attention to the fact that such is the strength of the economic message in Northern Ireland that despite the breakdown in the ceasefire there has continued to be significant inward investment. There has been investment of several hundred million pounds to provide in the future 4,000 new jobs. That is the best hope for all sectors of all communities. On a recent visit to Canada I was delighted to learn that Bombardier, the owners of Shorts, a globally competitive company in Belfast, was looking at transferring even more work to the company.

§ Lord Williams of Mostyn
My Lords, does the Minister agree that in the extremely important work of confidence building and reconstruction the Government have had—and continue to have—the full support of the Labour Party? Does she also agree that at this difficult time everyone should do their best to avoid inflaming tensions? Is she content with the peacekeeping security arrangements presently in place at Drumcree?

§ Baroness Denton of Wakefield
My Lords, the noble Lord gives me the opportunity to express gratitude for the support we have received for our Northern Ireland policy from the Benches opposite. That has been helpful and constructive and it has ensured that we can move at a speed which perhaps would have been slower and more difficult without that support. We are grateful for that. The noble Lord spoke of the need to maintain calm and of the need not to make any inflammatory remarks. Both sides have views in which they believe absolutely. 169 The aim is to have peaceful negotiations, not confrontation. That is the aim of the operational decisions of the police in association with the Army at Drumcree and throughout the Province.